UGANDA — “I want to thank the Lord for the many lives that are being transformed through studying Scripture—especially the youth,” shares our Ruwenzori language producer. One young person named Titus recently joined a Words of Hope Ruwenzori Bible study. Through participating in the group, Titus continued to grow spiritually, and eventually felt called to apply to college for further theological study. Pray that he will continue to grow in his faith.
IRAN — Words of Hope’s Iranian ministry team is made up of individuals inside the country as well as those who have fled persecution and are now operating from outside the country. Having Iranian contacts inside the country is important for many aspects of the ministry, but increasingly these team members are also needing to escape. Pray for safety for all our team members, and pray that God would maintain the hidden groups of followers in the country.
INDIA — Please pray for 22 Christian families in India who have now returned to their village after having previously been persecuted and forced to leave their homes nearly twelve years ago. We give thanks that the Naxalite and anti-Christian threats in their region have now diminished. Pray that these families will continue to grow in their faith as they work to rebuild their homes and farm the land.
SOUTH SUDAN — Please pray for South Sudan and its civil government as they work toward arranging elections. The planned date of December 22 now seems uncertain, and we ask for wisdom and guidance for leaders as they navigate these challenges. Pray for peace and stability in the country during this time of political transition. May God’s hand be on the leaders, to ensure that the needs of the people are upheld.
ENGLISH — A devotional reader writes: “Your devotional has really helped me understand myself better and has brought me closer to the Lord. You see, for the past 20 years I have been homeless, and just recently the Lord provided me with a lovely apartment and some money. It has taken me a while to adjust, but your devotions helped me tremendously. Thank you again for helping me.”
INDONESIA — Please join us in praying for new listener communities being developed on the island of Sumba in Indonesia. Pray for the 12 new group coordinators who are helping to organize the communities. We ask that the Lord would use these listener communities to deepen people’s faith and help them grow in their understanding of the Bible. Pray too that the economic empowerment efforts in the region would be a success.
ALBANIA — The team in Albania has begun recording 15-minute Words of Hope programs in the Albanian Gheg dialect, which is spoken primarily in northern Albania and in Kosovo. These programs are re-recordings of Albanian programs that were originally produced 15 years ago. The new Gheg dialect programs will truly speak to people in their heart language. Pray for new hearts to be opened to the love of Christ.
TURKEY — The team in Turkey reports that they are settling in well to new routines and production patterns. They moved last year, which affected many aspects of ministry work, but things are beginning to get back to normal. They have also had a lack of staff, but have been able to hire a new person. The new staff member edits programs, uploads them to the database, and works on production.
BHUTAN — While visiting a small house church, one of our producers met a school teacher in the village. This man and his wife are both believers, but had never attended a church. He was afraid of consequences from the government if he were found to be attending a church. The producer invited him to attend the house church, where he was delighted to finally meet other believers. Pray that he grows in his faith and is allowed to express his faith freely in Bhutan.
NIGER — Please pray for Words of Hope’s broadcasts in the Zarma language, which reach people living in Niger. Pray for safety and protection amidst the growing insecurity in this region. Lift up the partner radio stations who faithfully share these messages of hope, information, and education. Ask that God would strengthen our ministry as we continue to produce and broadcast these programs, so that the message of the gospel may reach many hearts in Niger.
NEPAL — Pray for our new Maithili language producer in Nepal. He originally was employed as a teacher at a government college, but felt God calling him to return to his village to lead a small school for under-privileged children there. He is now also beginning to produce programs in the Maithili language spoken in his region. Maithili is considered one of the major languages of Nepal, and is spoken by nearly 12% of the population.